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Exploring an alternative vision of the Jubilee with Temporal Shift’s “This Other Eden”

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The Platinum Jubilee (or “platty joobs” as many have regrettably taken to calling it) is finally behind us and we can all get back to the important stuff like getting rid of Boris Johnson and struggling to feed ourselves. 

Yes, while it was undoubtedly nice to have a couple of extra days off and the weather managed to hold out for it (just), the Jubilee was far from a cultural triumph. Indeed, perhaps the most notable piece of creative flair offered up during the weekend was a giant flying corgi made from drones. Neat, but it didn’t really say anything other than “the Queen really liked corgis.”

But while the vast majority of creative types decided to tow the company line and gush vacantly about “the majesty of her majesty,” one group of artists decided to look beneath the surface and approach the platty joobs from an altogether more subversive angle.

Temporal Shift is an creative studio co-founded by artists Fayann Smith and Jim Warboy that aims to infuse groundbreaking technology with oddball, arthouse sensibilities. Their latest project, dubbed “This Other Eden,” is heavily inspired by Derek Jarman’s incendiary 1978 film Jubilee; a defiant reaction to the silver spectacle of state jubilation the previous year.

Featuring punk luminaries such as Pamela Rooke (also known as “Jordan” and played by Game of Throne’s Maisie Williams in the recent Sex Pistols biopic), Siouxsie Sioux and Adam Ant, it was a loose, episodic film that caused something of a stir in its time. 

As a more modern reflection of the Platinum Jubilee and a companion piece to that groundbreaking film some 44 years later, “The Other Eden” features over 25 LGBTIQ+ creatives and allies from the worlds of music and fashion in a new, limited-edition digital portrait series by British photographer Luke Nugent

The project is being launched in association with Palm NFT Studio and Nifty’s, with half of all proceeds being donated to London’s LGBTIQ+ community shelter, The Outside Project. I spoke to the Temporal Shift co-founders earlier this week to explore everything from the all consuming hellscape of tribalism and polarisation that was Brexit to how the tensions of our current time are strangely interchangeable from those experienced decades and even hundreds of years ago.

First of all, can you introduce yourselves and tell us a little about your backgrounds in the creative industries? 

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Fayann 

I’m Fayann Smith, co-founder of Temporal Shift. My first creative endeavours were music focussed; I’ve been in bands and interested in music technology since my early teens (I still am!). Looking for the right spaces to present my fairly eccentric music projects led to devising events that could accommodate the experimental and multimedia work I’m excited by. 

Several of those events exploded and my work started to get noticed by the press. In the process of creating those projects I had to radically expand my skill set, as I’d be called upon to do everything from graphic design to installation art. The nightclub events acted as a shop window for my creative direction and artwork, leading to commercial commissions and a profile as a fine artist. 

Jim

I’m Jim Warboy, co-founder of Temporal Shift. The majority of my background in the creative industries has been working in music and nightclubs as a music producer, composer and creative director. I have a particular passion for devising new directions and platforming emerging artists

What is the overall “mission statement” of Temporal Shift and how did it first come into being? 

Our creative partnership began in the Noughties as we teamed up on several unconventional nightclub projects. We gained notoriety for our adoption of emerging technology, atypical approaches to programming and use of space. 

Temporal Shift is a culmination of everything we’ve learnt about creating compelling experiences that are powered by groundbreaking technology - and sourcing the most directional talent to facilitate our vision. 

The kind of people we are drawn to, oddball creators, from diverse backgrounds, play a huge part in what we seek to do as a company. As individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in art and tech ourselves, we are committed to unlocking the potential of creators who aren’t necessarily an easy fit for the mainstream or can’t get the introductions they need, but who are brilliant nevertheless. 

Can you explain the “This Other Eden” project to our readers? 

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This Other Eden is an exploration of an alternative vision of Britain as we approach the Jubilee. We were conscious that the nation will become focussed on British identity during this time. 

We wanted to provide a snapshot of a subcultural landscape, existing beyond the street party cakes and bunting. Taking our inspiration from Derek Jarman’s seminal movie Jubilee (1978) we looked to queer Britain to provide a visually striking and intriguing document of the styles and personalities that help define the country but often remain on the fringes of this kind of public celebration. 

Why did you choose the Jubilee specifically as the time to release the work? 

We felt that the national mood would lend itself to reflection upon some of the most important issues of our time. The Jubilee offers an opportunity to dissect modern Britain, our current state of financial discord and cultural upheaval, when people are receptive to an exploration of who we are. 

Can you explain the etymology behind the title “This Other Eden” for us? 

This is an excerpt from John of Gaunt’s ‘This sceptred isle’ speech in William Shakespeare’s Richard II, a 1590s history play about the fall of the Plantagenet king. 

Many people are familiar with the first part of the speech, but what starts as an apparently rapturous moment of patriotism escalates into a borderline treasonous and xenophobic rant. The tensions and fears of our current time are all signposted in this text written several centuries earlier. 

What was it about the subjects you chose that you feel made them a perfect fit for the theme? 

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They are all people who are making something happen; part of a border queer creative movement that has impacted the culture over several decades. Some working on a grassroots level, some established names, but all contributing to an alternative vanguard of British power, not born of legacy, but born of innovation and creative vision. 

Who shot the portraits and what was the creative process like behind them? 

The images were captured by Luke Nugent, we have long been fans of his work and as it was portraiture based we felt like this project was the perfect collaboration. It’s been great to watch Luke in action and interact creatively with such a diverse group of people. 

The creative process has been fascinating, primarily as we’ve had the opportunity to meet the people we’ve cast who we’ve admired from afar, then reconnect with people we may not have seen since the nightlife shut down during the pandemic. 

What are your thoughts on the rise of the NFT in 2022? Do you see it as a liberation of artistic ownership or simply a symptom of the times? 

NFTs are simply a tool and like every tool they have pros and cons. The valid concerns raised about NFTs at the inception of their mass adoption, for environmental impact and security issues, are being actively and successfully addressed. We see a lot of positivity for digital artists; they can now easily sell their work to numerous collectors, just as an oil painter can theirs. 

We feel like people need to judge the industry on where it is now. For example, our partners, Palm offer a 99% more energy efficient minting process and carbon offset any associated process. We would not have created a single NFT without this important shift. Security issues are addressed and resolved on a daily basis.

Beyond the delivery of art, NFTs offer numerous solutions for the ease of ownership, from wine collections to concert tickets. The technology is useful and although its application may morph, I doubt it is going anywhere. 

Do you think 2022 marks something of a sea change year for the LGBTIQ+ community? 

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Well there is increased visibility, but how much of this is pinkwashing remains to be seen. We believe there are only a few real ways to empower people: provide them with resources, space or mentorship. Greater inclusion in the media is fine, but I think tangible results in other places are needed. 

The fact that we are fundraising for the only LGBTIQ+ centre for homelessness and domestic abuse in the capital shows how scant resources are. Happy, healthy people, regardless of sexual identity, help this country to remain a global force. Nobody should face discrimination and everybody should feel like they have a stake in our culture. 

Are there any parallels between 1977 and 2022 and do you feel they are reflected in the work? 

Well it's strange how much they are parallel, isn't it? A lot of the late 70s can be compared to now. The stagflation, the rising cost of living, but also this extremely vibrant cultural scene that is defiantly expressing itself, in spite of the many wolves at the door. 

Do you feel that Brexit marked something of a flux point for British identity and how do you think the monarchy fits into it all? 

Brexit was this all consuming hellscape of tribalism and polarisation. It definitely altered how we looked at things, it lifted a few rocks to reveal the not so savoury side of the British mentality. As a duo, one multiethnic and the other of Southern Irish descent, we always know that in certain quarters they would prefer to keep out anybody who doesn’t look, or act the same as they do

During Brexit that small, but vocal contingent made itself known. We tried to keep an open mind about the actual move from the EU itself, assess the information, but we honestly struggled to find any direct short term benefit to the average person and the long term all felt quite speculative. We hope our scepticism is unfounded but so far lots of things that used to be easy just got a lot harder and that’s all we’ve seen. 

What are your hopes for the future of the creative industries? 

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More diversity, not because of some face saving policy of inclusivity, but because the gatekeepers who can change things realise that it’s not just a certain class or skin colour that has what it takes. 

Breaking up nepotism could benefit everybody in the long run, releasing capital to the poor so they can enter education and become part of the creative workforce. Genius arises from people of all backgrounds, let’s create the conditions for it to flourish across the board. This can only advance society. 

This Other Eden by Temporal Shift will debut on Thursday 9 June 2022 at the Hoxton Arches, London E2 8HD

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